Collaborative innovation

Nesta Connect is underpinned by the following core beliefs:

• successful innovation is fundamentally collaborative;
• different perspectives make problem solving easier;
• extreme collaboration can lead to bigger leaps forward;
• good ideas are easy; productive relationships are harder.

What do we do?

We’re campaigning for more space, licence and opportunity to collaborate and exchange ideas across silos, organisations, sectors and disciplines. Our work is grouped into three main strands of investigation:

• Web Connect - to create powerful networks of influence using the web.
• Corporate Open Innovation - to create new commercial opportunities through collaborative business models.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration - to create knowledge through outward-facing research.

Why does it matter?

We think our public and private institutions have become over-specialised and siloed, leading only to incremental improvements in productivity. This narrow approach is inadequate in dealing with the big global challenges, which we think require collaborative solutions.

Access to information is getting exponentially easier, meaning that organisations can no longer compete on the basis of their knowledge. Instead, it is trusted relationships that are increasingly critical to successful innovation.

Therefore, we believe our governments, businesses and universities need to be more outward facing, democratic and collaborative.

We need your help

We are now looking for like-minded people who share our vision, to help shape our thoughts and activities and instigate large-scale change. If that sounds like you, please join our Facebook group, tell your friends, and talk to us about how we could and should achieve our mission.